Where Ever the Road May Lead
by Airess Byrd
Summary: MASSIVE SPOILERS for the Jumi Arc. Sometimes the hardest roads are the ones that we are forces to travel by ourselves.


Standard disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Mana, nor am I making any money off of this story.

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AN: Well, this is my first LoM fic. I guess I should start out by saying that I have never played the game, nor do I know how the Jumi Arc ends. What I do know of the game was read off of (which by the way, only went into little to no detail about the plots) and by a couple of noveliazions.

Now, before I get started, I first must mention these novelazions. I have been reading Memories and Imagination by Meeerf and Descent of Mana: The Lost Swords by Tiamat42. Both are really, really, REALLY GREAT fics that everyone in the world should go read! Go on! Go read! And then leave a review telling them how great their stories are! I'll be here when you get back! ^_^ Anyway, it was from those fics that I learned the plot of LoM. And it was from them I became a Heroine/Elazul fangirl. Hehe ^_^

So, what is this story suppose to be about? Well, it's just something that I decided to write in honor of Tiamat and Meeerf for both of them being so great ^_^ It takes place after meeting Diana in Geo, so there are massive spoilers! At least I think. Anyway, I hope that the story is good!

Enjoy the story ^_^

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Where the Road May Lead

Alone.

She was alone. How she hated that word. A simple little word that seemed to be echoing throughout her entire being.

_"Too much has happened! If you are going to cut us loose, do it now!"_

She clenched her fists to her side as she fought off tears. No, she wouldn't cry. Not because she was what she considered a tough person, but more for the sole fact she _couldn't _cry.

To cry for a Jumi meant you would be turned to stone.

_"We are alone in this world... it's just the two of us. No one else can be involved."_

She wanted to scream at him, rage at him. But in the end, what good would come of it? He had made his decision that night, and she was now walking home back to the outskirts of Dominia. Back to her old life before she met them.

Before she met Elazul and Pearl.

It had been just like any other day. She had been on an errand in town, possibly to check out the weapons shop to see if there was anything new imported that she might make use of. After she had made her purchases, she had headed off to the pub for something to eat. When she had entered, she saw Rachel, the daughter of the owners of the weapons shop, being harassed by a young man with green hair, dressed in loose traveling clothes.

Her first instinct was to slam into him for even thinking about scaring poor Rachel. Upon further inspection, however, she realized that he was worried about something. She was the type of person that would try to help anyone in need, but there was just something about the young man that drew her to him. It was almost like he was crying out for help to her.

She would later find her word choice to be ironic.

She managed to get the young man calmed down enough to find out what was wrong with him. A young woman was missing. A friend that was like a sister, he had said. She vowed to help him find her then and there.

And so, her involvement with Elazul and Pearl began.

They had tracked Pearl to Merkiv caverns and had just gotten there in the nick of time to save her from a jewel eater... and the jewel hunter Sandra. Elazul had thanked her, using that short tone he often used when dealing with people. He thanked her and he and Pearl left, out of the caverns, out of town, and out of her life.

It was only later that she learned from her apprentices, no less, they were Jumi. Jumi, one of the few races left that could ever hope to wield Mana in a dying world. They had somehow crystallized their own hearts to preserve the Mana within. And for that, they were hunted to the brink of extinction.

She filed the information away, but figured that she would never use it again. How she would find out how wrong she was.

It was a trip to Gato, with Lisa and Bud, that she ran into Elazul and Pearl again. Elazul had heard rumors of a Jumi in Gato, and he and his Guardian had gone to check it out. It was there that they had met Rubens. Some called him the Flame of Hope, but it was Rubens himself that had said it was foolish to have hope. It was by Sandra's blade that another Jumi was ripped from them.

But it was the Abbess Matilda that had sent her and Matilda's protector Daena, to see into a bunch of disturbances in regards to the fairies. It was Matilda that had set her on the path, the road that she currently found herself traveling. She had never been much of a believer in the Goddess, but there was something that told her she might want to listen to Matilda.

She shook her head. Matilda was dead and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Not anymore. She had died the moment they had defeated Irwin. She knew that Matilda had loved Irwin. Daena and Escad had told her as much. Matilda had died and became the seventh Wisdom, the Wisdom of Light.

She had thought she needed guidance, wisdom. She had been lost on her path and didn't know which way to go. Sure, she had Bud and Lisa, but for the most part, she still felt incredibly alone.

For some reason, when she was around Elazul and Pearl, that feeling vanished. She didn't have the words at the time to describe why she felt that way. She was mainly too busy helping the brash Jumi Knight find his wayward charge.

She would do whatever it took to make up for loosing the Ruby Knight. She had been right there, and Sandra still got Rubens. She would not fail again.

However, some things were not meant to be. She had found the Sapphire core, but Sandra still managed to one up her on that.

And then there had been Esmeralda. The girl was looking for her sisters' cores. She had once again tried to help a Jumi, only this time it was not the ending she desired. They had found the cores, but all were lost to Sandra once again.

The jewel hunter was gathering cores for some unknown purpose. They didn't know why, or how she even knew where the Jumi were.

It had been that one fateful encounter with Sandra that explained it all. She had finally managed to corner Pearl and was about to take her core, but she and Elazul had stepped in. In one fatal move, Sandra had struck at Elazul's core, scratching it. It was also that same movement that revealed that Sandra was a Jumi herself.

It was also that moment that caused Pearl, sweet and quiet little Pearl, to change. Before them had not been the quiet Guardian, but a Jumi Knight of steel and strength. She had chased off Sandra, then left them. Left Elazul.

It had been horrible for the young Jumi Knight. He was alone, much like she was now. She would not allow Elazul to feel like that anymore. She searched for Pearl... or rather the woman that had taken Pearl's place. She had found no trace of her.

Elazul had eventually ran off to the Tower of Leires to search for his Guardian. It was there she found him and it was there they fought to get to the top of the Tower, only to be confronted by the Jumi known as Lady Blackpearl, Knight of the Clarius.

Blackpearl was a total mystery to her. The woman that was the other side of Pearl. After learning the truth that Blackpearl and Pearl were the same person, she figured out that there was something from the Jumi's past that she wanted to either forget, or was running from.

Maybe it was a little of both.

Blackpearl had done something or experienced something that caused herself to lock herself away. What was left was Pearl.

Elazul the Knight and Pearl the Guardian. They truly made an interesting pair. One that seemed to know little to nothing of her past, the one that was trying to run away, and the other that was searching for his. Searching for a place to belong.

She vowed then and there to help them find the path. She would help them find the road back home.

It was only a short while ago that they ended up back in Geo, due to rumors of another Jumi being there. It was Diana they had found. Diana, the Queen of the Jumi.

It was Diana that told them the truth of Sandra, or Alexandra. How the woman had committed a single act of genocide against her entire race. How she had hidden away the Clarius Florina for some unknown purpose. Florina, the Jumis' only hope of ever being revived, for it was only the tears of a Jumi that could heal another Jumi. Florina had been the only one that could cry now.

And once again, it was Sandra that had ended the life of another Jumi. Another Jumi she had failed to protect.

It was then that Elazul had told her to cut them off. Too much had happened, he had said. It was too dangerous to get involved. And just like that, he and Pearl had walked out of her life once again. Only this time for good.

She wondered faintly if that was how Matilda felt when Irwin rejected her in the end? Matilda had given up everything to be with Irwin... her status, her powers, her youth. She truly loved the half demon.

Irwin had loved her, too. But in the end, it just wasn't enough. Matilda had been forced to let Irwin go. Was she going to have to let Elazul and Pearl go now?

She left loose a long sigh as her small cottage came into view. It had been a long trip from Geo. She pushed at her hair sticks and wondered if there was really a Mana Goddess, did she delight in torturing her?

She finally managed to make it the door of her cottage and opened the door. Bud and Lisa were looking at her with a strange look.

"Master, did something happen?" Lisa asked in a concern tone. Polite and courteous, that one was.

She mutely nodded. She sighed again and then explained to them what had happened. Bud looked pissed while Lisa only nodded in understanding.

"You love them," Lisa finally said. "Master, why don't you go after them?"

Go after them? The mere thought was ludicrous. Elazul had made it quite clear that he didn't want her following them. But, there was something in his eyes, in his voice, that seemed to be screaming otherwise.

I don't want to be alone anymore! The feeling seemed to scream. It was just like when they first met. He wanted, no, _needed _her help. Needed her to be with him and Pearl as they traveled the last bit of path on their road.

"Yeah! Go after them!" Bud joined in with his twin sister. "Since when were you the one to take something lying down? Huh Master?"

She smiled at her apprentices. They were right. Maybe it was fate, or maybe it was the Goddess herself, but she had been put on this road, made friends with these traveling companions.

And she would be crazy if she let them slip away from her again. She would never let Sandra take another Jumi core. She would not let Sandra take Elazul and Pearl away from her. Not now, not ever.

She waved goodbye to the elf twins and quickly headed out the door. She would travel with them, on the long road they traveled.

They never had to be alone ever again.


End file.
